First Republic Bank shares rose on Thursday along with banking peers, rebounding from the prior day’s losses caused by disappointment over comments from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that dashed speculation the government would mount a massive extension to its deposit insurance program.
(Bloomberg) — First Republic Bank shares rose on Thursday along with banking peers, rebounding from the prior day’s losses caused by disappointment over comments from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that dashed speculation the government would mount a massive extension to its deposit insurance program.
The lender’s shares rose by as much as 9.9%, amid a broader advance in banking stocks, before giving back some of the gain. The rebound for the California-based company, however, pales in comparison with the 89% loss this year through Wednesday’s close, which erased nearly $20 billion from its market capitalization.
Regional banking peer Western Alliance Bancorp also traded higher, advancing as much as 9.4%. The KBW Bank Index gained as much as 1.3% on Thursday, paring what had been a 28% decline this month.
“Every day without a bank failure is a win for the sector,” said Chris Marinac, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott.
Banking stocks had come under pressure on Wednesday after Yellen said regulators aren’t looking to provide “blanket” deposit insurance to stabilize the US banking system, while Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell pushed back against market speculation that the central bank will cut rates this year.
First Republic has plummeted over the past two-and-a-half weeks amid growing turmoil in the industry. The swift demise of three banks, including Silicon Valley Bank, spurred worries over liquidity and saw clients pull funds.
Wall Street lenders and US officials are looking at the possibility of government backing to encourage a deal that would shore up First Republic, Bloomberg News reported earlier this week, citing people with knowledge of the situation.
Sentiment remains fragile, however. Fitch Ratings downgraded First Republic, citing its new more costly funding profile, following S&P Global Inc.’s downgrade over the weekend. Citigroup Inc. analysts moved the lender’s rating to “under review” on Wednesday given volatility in the shares.
(Updates to add regular hours trading.)
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